Shoe manufacture



July 6, 1937. R. H. LAWSON 2,985,861

SHOE MANUFACTURE Filed Feb. 1, 1955 0 w jwew Patented July 6, 1937UNITED STATES EA'E'ENT OFFIE SHOE MANUFACTURE.

Application February 1, 1935, Serial No. 4,544

2 Claims.

The present invention relates to shoe manufacture and is hereinillustrated in its application to the assembling of shoe upper parts,including a non-molded counter, upon a last.

5 In the manufacture of shoes provided With nonmolded counters, it isdesirable to temper the counter thoroughly before assembling the shoeupper parts upon a last in order that the counter may readily conform tothe shape of the heel end of the last and also to put the counter into acondition in which its everlasting margin will readily fold over themargin of the insole. A non-molded counter which is in perfect temperfor the assembling operation has a considerable amount of moisturetherein and consequently when the counter is inserted between the liningand the upper and pressure is applied to shape the counter to the lastmoisture from the counter passes through the lining and into the insolethereby softening the margin of the insole to such As a consequence ofthis undesirable feature of non-molded counters, it has become a usualpractice in shoe manufacture to shape the counter and form an inturnedflange in its bottom margin before assembling the counter in a shoe.

Such counters are not in temper when they are assembled in their shoesand if they do not register accurately with the heel end of the last, asis often the case, it is Very difficult to locate the counter in thedesired position and to prevent displacement of the counter in, forexample, the

pulling-over operation.

It is an object of the present invention to overcome the above-mentionedobjection to the use of non-molded counters while retaining thedesirable features of non-molded counters in the manufacture of footwearof high quality.

With the above object in view, the present invention consists in lastingthe margin of a shoe lining over and upon a marginal plate on an insole,said plate being herein illustrated as a heel plate the outer edge ofwhich is arranged to coincide with the edge face of the heel portion ofthe insole, impaling the margin of the lining on points projectingupwardly from the insole and preferably formed in the plate, positioninga shoe stiffener, for example a non-molded counter, with its sole marginarranged to be lasted over said plate, impaling the margin of saidstiffener on said points, then clenching the points against thestiffener, and thereafter lasting the margin of the upper over upon saidstiffener, for example, in a heel seat lasting machine.

The invention will appear more fully from the following description whenread in connection with the accompanying drawing and will be pointed outin the appended claims.

In the drawing,

Fig. 1 is a perspective View of a heel plate embodying features of thepresent invention;

Fig. 2 is a perspective View of the heel end of an insole provided witha heel plate such as that illustrated in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a. perspective View of an upper assembled on a last having aninsole such as that illustrated in Fig. 2 attached to its bottom face,the i overlasted margin at the heel end of the lining having beenimpaled upon points on the heel plate;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the heel end of an assembled upperillustrating particularly the operation of assembling a counter in theshoe and securing it to the insole; and

Fig. 5 is a perspective View similar to Fig. 2 illustrating analternative construction.

Referring now to Fig. 1, the numeral l0 indicates a metal heel platewhich, as herein illustrated, is a narrow strip having the curvature ofthe edge face of the heel end of an insole. The plate it is providedwith points l2 extending downwardly from the inner edge face of theplate in order to provide means for permanently securing the plate tothe heel end of an insole. Preferably three such points are provided,one at each end of the plate and one substantially midway between itsends. When the plate H] is properly secured to an insole M of like size,as illustrated in Fig. 2, the outer edge face 16 of the plate isarranged to coincide with the edge face l8 of the insole. The plate i tis provided with a series of impaling points 2!] arranged to extendupwardly from the inner edge face of the plate for the reception of theoverlasting margins of shoe upperparts, for example, a lining 22 and anonmolded counter 2 3 illustrated in Fig. 4. The im paling points 20 arereadily bendable, thus permitting them to be clenched against theoverlasted margins of shoe upper materials in order to hold them inoverlasted position, as illustrated at 23 in Fig. 4. In order to insurethat the points 2i) will not interfere with the driving of heel seatlasting tacks, the heel plate in is, made as narrow as practicable,thereby permitting the points 20 to be located between the edge face ofthe insole and the region of the insole which, at a later stage in themanufacture of the shoe, receives the heel seat lasting tacks.

Referring now to Fig. 5 illustrating an alternative insole construction,a heel plate 38 which is identical to the heel plate I except that it isnot provided with impaling points 20 is permanently secured to an insole4 by points 42 similar to the points i2 of the plate l0. Impaling points44 which are separate and distinct from the plate 38 project from thebottom face of the insole between the inner edge face of the plate 38and the area which is to receive the heel seat lasting tacks.

One method of making shoes in accordance with the present inventionconsists in attaching to a last bottom an insole the heel end of whichis provided with the heel plate of the present invention, positioningthe heel ends of shoe upper materials relatively to a last 28, andtemporarily attaching them thereto, for example by driving a tack 30through the upper in the region of the back seam and into the last. Thelast 28 with the upper thereon is then supported, for example on a benchspindle 32 (Fig. 4) The lining 22 at its heel end is then drawn upwardlyto pull out any wrinkles that may have formed therein. Hand pincers maybe employed for this operation. If desired, a heel band may be providedsuch; for example, as the heel band commonly employed in bed lastingmachines, such heel band serving to hold the lining in position afterthe operator has pulled it up with his hand pincers. After the operatorhas positioned the lining to his satisfaction the margin of the liningextending above the insole is laid over the margin of the insole andimpaled upon the points 20 of the heel plate. The operator now positionsthe wings of the nonmolded counter 24 to his satisfaction and then laysthe margin of the counter extending above the overlasted margin of thelining upon the shoe bottom. The counter, of course, has been temperedto put itin condition for the assembling and lasting operations. Theoverlasting margin of the counter 24 is now impaled upon the points 20of the heel plate. In impaling a counter upon said points it has beenfound desirable to employ a hammer and a tool such, for example, as thetool 34 illustrated in Fig. 4 which has a cavity 36 formed in its workengaging end to provide clearance for the point 20 as the counter isforcibly impaled thereupon. After impaling the margin of the counterupon the points 20 said points are bent over and pounded down againstthe margin of. the counter, as illustrated at 26 in Fig. 4.

While the invention has been illustrated and described in itsapplication to the assembling of shoe parts, including a non-moldedcounter, upon a last, it is to be understood that the invention is notthus limited in its scope but is applicable to the assembling of shoeupper parts including a molded counter or to the assembling of shoeuppers provided with no counter whatever.

Having thus described my invention, what I claimas new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. That method of making shoes which comprises lasting the margin of ashoe lining over and upon a marginal plate on an insole; impaling saidmargin on points projecting upwardly from the insole, positioning a shoestiffener with its sole margin arranged to overlie said plate, impalingthe margin of said stiffener on said points,

clenching said points against the margin of said stiffener, andthereafter lasting the margin of the upper over upon said stiffener.

2. That method of making shoes which consists in lasting the sole marginof the heel portion of a lining over and upon a marginal plate on theheel portion of an insole, impaling the margin of the lining upon pointsprojecting from the insole, lasting a non-molded counter over and uponthe lasted margin of the lining, impaling the sole margin of the counterupon said impaling points, clenching said points against the margin ofthe counter, and thereafter lasting the sole margin of the upper overupon the lasted margin of the counter.

ROBERT H. LAWSON.

